1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to apparatus facilitating through-the-wall transactions between an employee of a business establishment inside the wall, and a customer outside the wall, and more particularly to a device useful in an unsheltered exterior location but retaining the security, convenience, and communications features heretofore found desirable in pass-through devices.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The most pertinent prior art known to me is the apparatus disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 4,069,773 issued Jan. 24, 1978, and described in a sheet of literature entitled "Transaction Security Equipment" distributed by Creative Industries, Inc. of 959 North Holmes, Indianapolis, Ind. 46222. In addition to the combination pass-through and deal tray shown in that patent and the literature, there is also shown in the literature on the back side, a "Lazy Susan Pass Thru." While the device shown in my above-mentioned patent utilizes a horizontal axis for pivoting of the deal tray or plate 26, the "Lazy Susan" device uses a vertical axis.
The device shown in my aforementioned patent is preferably employed in a sheltered location, typically indoors. If utilized in an outdoors/indoors location, without shelter, there would be exposure to rain and snow and resulting water accumulation in the unit, which would not be acceptable.
The "Lazy Susan" version, with some modification, could conceivably be employed in an outdoor/indoor location, but the nature of the construction is such that the rotatable support shelf is entirely within the boundaries of the fixed housing. In contrast, the drive-up pass-through of the present invention has a pivoting shelf which extends outward towards the customer (beyond the frontal surface of the housing of the pass-through). Therefore, the new drive-up pass-through would make for more convenience for the customer in being able to more easily reach items on the shelf, when it is rotated outward.